Pre-season racing 2017 kicked off with a bang. In our previous article, we discussed Monica’s consistency in her swim times over the 2015-2017 seasons and how frustrating it is at times waiting for a swimmers’ training to take shape. Following the Swimming South Africa Championships in Germiston, Monica took time off as forced rest is required at the end of every swimming season (slight injury in her left triceps and light flu with fevers confirmed that a full month off is required.) 1 May 2017, training starts and we change clubs from Seagulls to North Coast Dolphins. Pre-season racing takes place from 1 May toRead More →

Swimming consistency is a success cornerstone. Consistency in swimming counts in training and plays a huge part in how swimmers race. Swimming is a lifestyle. Not just a sport, and in our case, not just a way of making Monica’s lungs stronger to prevent asthma, but a true and honest part of her daily routine. Success at swim meets does not come without commitment and routine. Every morning at 10:00 am Monica packs her bag, puts on her swimsuit and dad coach drives her to the pool for training. No complaints, no question about the program. Just happy to do what she loves the most.Read More →

Swimming South Africa released the SA swimming rankings 2017 season this week with a little bit of a twist. Monica’s SA Swimming rankings 2017: In the table above, we list Monica’s Swimming South Africa database history. Monica started swimming competitively during 2014-2015 as a registered Level 1 swimmer. This year she swims in the Female 10 & Under age group category for a fourth consecutive year. Levels swimming is not always moonshine and roses. It takes guts, blood, sweat, and tears – and we are only at the beginning of this journey. Our biggest break-through in 2016-2017: In 2015-2016 our swimmer had a very bad experienceRead More →

What should swimmers eat? Fresh Vegetables, nuts, and various fruit is the obvious answer. Is this correct and does it apply to all ages? In this week’s article, we take a look at what swimmers should eat and the dilemma new swim parents face when their children decide to become swimmers….. New Season, new swim club. On Saturday morning, 3 June 2017, we take a drive up the coast to meet NC Dolphins swim team. It is about an hour’s drive from where we live. We meet swim coach Domnique Donner, and Monica fits the club kit before we settle down on the pavilion. SheRead More →

Age group swimming is a paradox. Our 2017-2018 season kicked off on Saturday with the first age group swim meet. We love the start of a new season. There is a sense of anticipation and excitement on pool deck, which seems to water down as the swim season progress. (Parents and swimmers alike are quite exhausted at the end of a swim season.) Why is age group swimming a paradox? I never think about these topics as I have been a swimmer all my life. Actually, a competitive swimmer, therefore we take the jargon and terminology for granted. Our swim mom in this article has threeRead More →